Yuki Tsunoda makes his return to Formula 1 during the upcoming Dutch GP at Zandvoort. The Japanese driver was called up to replace Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls, who in turn is substituting for the injured Isack Hadjar. It promises to be a challenging weekend for Tsunoda, who had not driven a single meter in the VCARB 03 before Friday and, due to the sprint format, only got one free practice session. Therefore, Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer is tempering expectations.
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During the official FIA press conference, Bayer was asked about this special opportunity for Tsunoda. Earlier, the Japanese driver revealed that he only received a call from Red Bull on Tuesday, while he was still lying on the beach in Greece. How does he handle that sudden pressure? “I think every driver longs to be in a Formula 1 car,” Bayer responded calmly. “They are trained from a young age to deal with pressure. So that worries me little.”
Yuki Tsunoda wants to show what he can do
“From the team, we have tried to reduce the pressure as much as possible,” he added. “We focus on qualifying and the main race; he should consider the sprint sessions as free practice two and three. In addition, the team limits his other obligations to a minimum. The social media team had to settle for ten minutes instead of half an hour,” he laughed. Racing Bulls has a large reach on social media, partly thanks to the large number of playful videos the team records.
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“Furthermore, I think he (Tsunoda, ed.) mainly sees this as a great opportunity and is not so much concerned with the pressure,” Bayer concluded. “He just wants to race in Formula 1 and show the world what he can do. And I think he has a car that can score points. We will see on Sunday.” Tsunoda recorded – for what it’s worth – the seventeenth time during the only free practice at Zandvoort. He left Lance Stroll, both Cadillacs, and both Williams cars behind him.
Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
